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How to Get into Business Management

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Recently we talked about what you can do with a Bachelor’s in Business Management or a Master’s in Management, and today we’ll cover how to launch a career in business management. 

In this article, we’ll cover whether or not it’s a good industry to work in, we’ll talk about what modern business management professionals do every day, and we’ll explain how to increase your chances of successfully breaking into the industry. 

We’ll also provide you with an overview of what to expect from a career in business management so you can make an informed decision about whether or not this is the right career for you. 

After you’ve learned everything you need to know about launching a career in Business Management, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about our 100% online Bachelor’s in Business Management and Master’s Degree in Management programs. 

If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

Is Business Management a Good Career Field?

There are three compelling reasons to think about becoming a business management professional:

  1. The field is expanding, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimating that the employment in management occupations is projected to grow by 9% from 2020 to 2030, resulting in approximately 906,800 new jobs. 
  2. Business management professionals play an absolutely critical role in organizations across any industry, as they’re responsible for driving business success and ensuring operations are running efficiently. 
  3. The best jobs in the industry offer excellent compensation, including a very high average annual salary.

If you’re thinking about a career in business management and wondering whether or not this is a good career to enter, the answer is definitely yes.

What Do Business Management Professionals Actually Do?

Business managers are in charge of leading employees to accomplish an organization’s strategic goals, overseeing budgets, communicating between upper management and staff, and conducting performance reviews.

In general, business managers are responsible for ensuring performance metrics are being met and that operations are running smoothly and efficiently.

These professionals work in a variety of different settings, including manufacturing plants, healthcare facilities, and other large to mid-size organizations, but no matter where they work, they tend to share a number of important responsibilities.

Typically, business management professionals are in charge of tasks like:

  • Organizing and coordinating operations to ensure maximum productivity.
  • Creating budgets and overseeing financial resources.
  • Delegating tasks to employees.
  • Measuring overall company performance against strategic objectives.
  • Ensuring staff have the necessary resources to complete their work.

As you can see, business managers are responsible for a wide range of tasks. Some of their responsibilities may even cross over into other disciplines, like human resources and marketing, so you can think of business managers as needing to be capable of a variety of things.

This is due to the fact that business management professionals frequently need to be able to see the bigger strategic vision for an organization so they can understand how everything fits together to ensure that the business runs profitably.

What Skills Do Business Managers Need?

Here are some of the specific skills you should consider developing before beginning your career in business management:

  • Leadership Skills – As a business manager you may be responsible for leading teams of employees, supporting them in their day-to-day activities, and answering any questions they may have.
  • Organization Skills – You’ll likely have many different projects and important tasks on the go as a business manager, so you’ll have to be able to prioritize and keep track of various responsibilities.
  • Communication Skills – You will need to be able to clearly communicate expectations and company objectives, so it’s important that you work on developing excellent communication skills before entering the industry.
  • Problem-Solving Skills – As a business manager it will be your responsibility to solve complex problems on the fly. You must be able to think on your feet and stay calm in stressful situations.

When working in business management, you may also have the opportunity to specialize in various areas, like human resources, finance, or marketing. 

Perhaps your interests lie in a specific industry like manufacturing or banking? In that case, you could concentrate on operations management or finance.

If you want to improve your skills in more specific areas within the business management field, you might also want to consider studying or even specializing in some of the sub-disciplines that are important to this career, like:

  • Marketing 
  • Supply chain management
  • Finance or accounting 
  • Business strategy 

No matter what you choose to do in the industry, one thing to keep in mind is that it might be difficult to achieve success in this field without first developing a robust understanding of the different business areas an organization needs to function properly.

While this is a fantastic career path with numerous opportunities for growth and advancement, you may have trouble getting a good job or maintaining a successful career path without first completing a related degree program.

Do I Need a Degree to Get Into Business Management?

Most likely. According to Zippia.com, candidates for jobs in business management typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in a field like business management, and master’s degrees are common and sometimes preferred by employers as well. 

If you decide to pursue this path, obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management would be the perfect way to enter the industry, and if you’re looking to get one of the better jobs or a leadership position, then you should certainly consider completing a Master’s Degree in Management.

No matter what your long-term career goals might be, the best way to start a career in this industry is to first develop a strong understanding of the fundamentals of business management, and getting a degree is the best way to do that.

Completing your degree isn’t just the best way to develop the fundamental knowledge, skills, and abilities required to succeed in the industry, but it’s also the best way to signal to hiring managers that you are prepared to provide real value to their organization.

What Can I Do With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management?

Once you’ve earned your bachelor’s degree, you can pursue a variety of exciting but challenging roles in the industry, including jobs like:

These are just a few of the many roles that you can pursue with a bachelor’s degree in business management.

In reality, earning your bachelor’s degree will make you eligible for many more job titles in a wide range of different industries.

What Can I Do With a Master’s Degree in Management?

Getting a master’s degree in management allows you to pursue almost any job!

Completing a Master’s Degree in Management will make you eligible for a wide variety of jobs in the public and private sectors, including positions like:

Again, these are just a few examples of the types of jobs you could get after completing an accredited master’s degree in the field. 

The reality is that after earning a master’s degree, you’ll have the opportunity to explore many different career paths in this interesting and growing industry. 

What Else Can I Do To Increase My Odds of Success?

Getting your degree is the single most important thing you can do to establish a career in business management, but there are other things you can do to further improve your knowledge, skills, and chances of success.

But you should also work on developing some of the most essential skills for business managers, including both hard and soft skills needed for this industry.

Hard skills are those that are more technical in nature, such as a business manager’s knowledge of accounting principles or experience with analyzing supply chain models. 

For this field, hard skills include things like:

  • Data analysis and interpretation.
  • Cost forecasting of operations.
  • Understanding industry regulations and compliance laws.
  • Managing supply chain software.

Soft skills are more difficult to quantify, but no less important, and include more general skills such as the ability to lead a team or multitask. 

Here are some of the most important soft skills for business managers:

  • Leadership skills.
  • Time management.
  • Emotional intelligence.
  • Active listening.
  • Collaboration.
  • Problem-solving.
  • Ability to make tough decisions.

As you can see from the list above, there are many different skills required for a successful career in business management, but with the proper education and training, you’ll be on your way to developing a lifelong career in this challenging industry.

One other thing you may want to consider doing before attempting to break into the industry, or when trying to advance your career, is completing relevant certification programs.

Certifications can help show employers that you have the specific skills and abilities needed for certain positions in the field, and there are a variety of certifications that you might want to consider completing.

According to Business.com, some of the best certifications for people working in business management include:

  • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
  • Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
  • Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • SAP Certified Application Associate – Business Planning and Consolidation
  • Salesforce Certified Administrator
  • HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification
  • Oracle Certified Professional (OCP)

It is important to remember that these certificates are not essential to starting or advancing a career, but they could be valuable for enhancing your skills, abilities, and resume, especially for certain positions.

Should I Get My Degree in Business Management Online?

Yes, regardless of where you decide to pursue your education, you should look to get your business management degree online.

Online programs offer significant benefits, including allowing you to learn while juggling other important responsibilities, and many online programs offer the same high-quality education as traditional brick-and-mortar schools.

CSU Global’s online programs offer incredible flexibility since they were designed from the beginning to be completed online. To make our programs as convenient as possible, we offer several excellent benefits, including:

  • No set times or locations for classes.
  • Monthly class starts.
  • Accelerated, eight-week courses.

Because of these benefits, studying online with us could make it much easier to juggle your studies with existing work and family obligations.

If you’re looking to get your degree, but you’ve already got a hectic schedule, then you should definitely consider studying online at CSU Global.

Why Should I Choose to Study Business Management at CSU Global?

Our completely online Degrees in Business Management are both regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and designed to provide you with the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities you need to become a successful business management professional.

Both our Bachelor’s and Master’s programs were designed to be completed entirely online and they provide far more freedom and flexibility than traditional, in-person programs.

Each program also holds impressive rankings from third-party organizations, and our alumni report excellent results from the job market as well.

Reasons to Choose our B.S. in Business Management Program

Our Bachelor’s Program in Business Management holds excellent rankings, including:

  • A #3 ranking on The Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Intelligence from The Best Schools.
  • A #10 ranking on 50 Best Online Business Administration Degrees from Online Schools Report.
  • A #10 ranking on Top 15 Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration Programs 2021 from Best College Reviews.

Reasons to Choose our M.S. in Management Program

Our Master’s Program in Management also holds several excellent rankings, including:

  • A #1 ranking on Top 25 Best Online Master’s in Management for 2020 from Best Masters Programs.
  • A #1 ranking on Top 25 Best Value Online Master’s in Management Degrees for 2020 from Value Colleges.
  • A #6 ranking on 15 Online Master’s in Management (MIM) Degrees for 2020 from Great Business Schools.

You can also count on your degree earning the recognition you deserve, as CSU Global itself is widely considered an industry leader in higher education, having recently won several important rankings, including:

Finally, we offer competitive tuition rates and a Tuition Guarantee to ensure that your affordable tuition rate won’t increase for as long as you remain enrolled as a student, which protects you from the rate hikes that are common at other schools.

To get additional details about our fully-accredited 100% online Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management or our Master’s Degree in Management, please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.

Ready to get started today? Apply now!